


Que Sera, Sera

by zayndehaan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-23
Updated: 2012-11-23
Packaged: 2017-11-19 07:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zayndehaan/pseuds/zayndehaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys and their angels celebrate Thanksgiving at the Singers' house. Everything goes better than expected.</p><p>Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! ♥</p>
            </blockquote>





	Que Sera, Sera

"Dean, eat your squash," Sam chides gently, poking his brother's side with a spatula and then sitting down between him and Gabriel, a smile dominating his facial features.

"'m not touching that health-food crap," the older Winchester grumbles loudly, serving himself another heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Gabriel wrinkles his nose up, scrutinizing the butternut squash in front of him, and then catches a glance from Sam and quickly takes some onto his plate. He samples a small bite, and then shrugs noncommittally. 

"It's actually pretty good, Samsquash," the angel admits, and the whole table laughs at the alteration to the nickname.

"Glad you like it," Sam mutters back with a small, quieter smile that Gabriel knows is meant for him. The angel grins, swallowing some more of the squash. He's not entirely bullshitting Sam either-- the squash really  _is_ good. Sam has decorated the dish with some arcane, esoteric spice and it's practically mouth-watering. Gabriel serves himself some more.

Karen smiles over at the boys, and then turns her smile towards Bobby, affectionately staring over at her husband. "Dear, did you want to maybe say a prayer?"

Bobby swallows his bite of turkey, and then nods. "Yeah, sure." He pushes his chair back as if to stand up, and then thinks better of it and remains seated.

"I'm thankful for you idjits," he begins, and it's such a  _Bobby_ thing to say that everyone laughs aloud. Gabriel leans in, listening with interest, and Sam and Dean exchange a look before turning their attentions back to Bobby.

"I'm serious," Bobby continues. "I thank myself every day that you boys came into my life. I don't know where I'd be without you." He pauses, and then chuckles, a low rumble in his throat. "Come to think of it, I don't know where  _you'd_  be without me, either." He smiles, and shakes his head. "I'm thankful that I'm still here, and that by some miracle, Karen's here too." The blonde woman leans into his side, a soft, intimate smile on her face. "I guess... Well, I guess I'm just thankful to be sitting at this table."

"Amen," Castiel surprises everyone by saying, and Dean is the first to recover, lifting up a glass to Bobby. Sam and the angels follow suit, and the Singers also raise their glasses for a toast. Dean's glass clinks against Castiel's in a surprisingly familiar way, and he is graced with a full-blown smile from the angel sitting across from him.

The dinner resumes after that, and it's delicious. Everyone contributed, which is maybe part of the reason why it's so delicious. Dean had gone out to buy the turkey from the local butcher, and had helped Karen cook it by mimicking everything she did and following her every order. Sam had made the squash and Bobby had picked the drinks. The angels had even helped cook too. Castiel had mashed the potatoes with a ferocity that had entertained Sam and frightened Karen, and Gabriel had helped Karen prepare the pies. Gabriel had also brought along some cranberry jelly that made the  _turkey_ look like a garnish, and when Sam asks him if he'd actually stolen it from the garden of Heaven, the angel smirks at the Winchester and raises both eyebrows.

After his plate is emptied, Dean stands up and walks to the kitchen and Karen follows him, patting Bobby on the shoulder comfortingly. The hunter turns around, and smiles briefly at Karen before washing his dish in the sink. "Thanks for this, Mrs. Singer. It really means a lot to me and Sam."

"Sam and I," Karen corrects him, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Is this your first big Thanksgiving dinner?"

Dean shrugs. "Well. Kinda. When Sam was a kid, he went to his girlfriend's house and I think they had a turkey dinner. But... this is the first one we've spent together." The unspoken confession of "and the first one I've ever had" hangs in the air, and Karen's eyes get wistful.

Dean turns away, back to the sink.

"They're nice, aren't they?" Karen asks from behind him, re-organizing the fridge or something. "The angels, I mean."

"No," Dean scoffs. "Most of them aren't. And Gabriel's kind of a prick, he's only nice when Sam's around."

"What about Castiel?" the woman inquires. "You two seem to get along."

"We do," Dean remarks, grinning down at the dishes.

A silence takes over the room for a while, and Dean continues scrubbing the dishes in the sink, thinking of a way to break the awkwardness. The sound of muted talking floats in from the dining room, and Gabriel lets out an enthusiastic laugh as Sam and Bobby chuckle over some joke.

"But, see, the thing about Cas is," Dean begins to confide to Karen, turning around from the sink. His sentence ends mid-thought as he sees that Karen has obviously wandered back to the dinner table, and Castiel has taken her place, leaning against the counter.

"Hello," Castiel greets him, posture embarrassed. "I came to help with the dishes." Dean notices as an afterthought that the angel is carrying a stack of plates, and steps forwards, taking the dishes from him.

"Uh, thanks, Cas." Dean begins to rinse some cranberry jelly off in a distracted manner. "I wasn't... gonna say anything. About you. I mean, I thought you were Karen."

Castiel blinks owlishly. "Oh."

"I wasn't gossiping, don't worry." Dean grabs a towel, and gets some of the soap bubbles off of his hands. His sleeves are rolled back to his elbows, and he's wearing the same style of outfit as usual, only with less layers.

"I wasn't worried that you were," Castiel assures him, clear trust in his voice. A small smile appears on his lips, and he asks with unnatural anxiety, "So, am I allowed to ask what you  _were_ going to say?"

Dean huffs out a laugh. "Just that... the thing about Cas is that he might seem awkward and weird at first. And, believe me, the awkwardness never really goes away, but over time..." The hunter's breath catches in his throat as he realizes the meaning behind the words that are slowly slipping out of his mouth. He hadn't meant for the conversation to end up here, and has absolutely no idea where it is going to go from here on. He wonders if Gabriel slipped some truth serum into his food, because Dean is  _never_  this expressive. He stares at Castiel, who is assiduously waiting for the end of the sentence. "Over time... he, uh, has a way of growing on you... sneaking up on you before you even knew what was coming."

Castiel stares at Dean with an unfathomable expression, and Dean isn't ahead enough to justify quitting, so he opens his mouth and words fall out.

"And... and he's, uh. He's really... once you get to know him, you can never really... forget him. Or what he's like." Dean is ninety percent sure that nothing he is saying is making any sense whatsoever, and that it's entirely probable that he should be quitting while he's  _behind_.

"You're describing me like I'm the Hotel California," Castiel says unexpectedly, breaking the hazy mist of  _something_ that has fallen over them. Dean takes a second before he realizes Castiel just made a pop culture reference and that it was actually funny.

He smiles, a sudden laugh erupting from his chest. Something about the situation is making Dean feel dizzy, and he is hyperconscious of the distance between himself and the angel. Castiel hasn't moved closer to him, which must mean that he's moved closer to Cas.

"Didn't know you were a fan of the Eagles, Cas," Dean commends him.

Castiel tilts his head to the side, and Dean is somehow even closer to him now than before, and he can feel the hairs raising on the back of his neck and a light sweat breaking out over his palms. 

"Who are the Eagles?" Castiel asks, and Dean kisses him without a second thought.

 

+

 

Bobby throws his head back and laughs loudly at Gabriel's joke. "You know what," he says a few seconds later, "you're pretty funny for an angel."

The archangel shrugs, winking at the other man. "Yeah, well, that's me. Not exactly your typical angel."

The older hunter leans forward, eyes narrowing. "No. You're not, are you?"

Gabriel takes a moment, and then realizes what Bobby's talking about. "There's no cause for concern. Really. My Trickster days are behind me, Bobby."

"Good," Bobby says from between gritted teeth. "Because I would hate for you to hurt the boys when they trust you so damn much."

Gabriel also leans forward over the table, and lowers his voice. "Bobby, I'm not kidding, you've got to believe me when I say this. I would rather hurt myself than hurt Sam or Dean."

Bobby's gaze softens, and then hardens again the next instant. "Especially Sam, right?"

There is an intense stare-down that lasts about half a minute, before Sam pipes up from his seat beside Gabriel, "Just checking, but you guys are still aware of my presence, right? I haven't vanished or anything?"

The men back down from their ocular battle, and both turn to Sam.

Gabriel reaches up and places a hand on the Winchester's shoulder before turning to Bobby. "We good?"

"I think so," Bobby grunts back, crossing his arms in a manner that is anything but defensive.

"Good," Gabriel replies with an easy smile, and instantly the tension is gone from the room. Bobby wonders if archangels have the ability to do that; make everyone feel immediate comfort. He is, ironically, not overly comfortable with the idea.

Sam rolls his eyes and exhales dramatically. "If we're done discussing my dowry, then I, for one, would like to move on to dessert."

Gabriel and Bobby both laugh and nod, and the hunter stands up to go check on Karen and the pies, leaving the room. Sam shifts in his seat nervously, and then turns to Gabriel, his eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry you had t-"

"Not a problem, Samalam," Gabriel cuts him off, reaching up and pressing a finger to his lips. He leaves the finger there for strictly longer than necessary as he continues. "I mean, I've battled humans, demons, even some angels. A grouchy father figure who doesn't want his daughter hanging out with the wrong crowd is quite possibly the easiest thing I've ever handled."  
Sam raises a hand and hits him lightly on the shoulder, but he laughs too. His last laugh fades in his throat, and a comfortable silence falls over the table, punctuated only by occasional noises from the kitchen.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Gabriel suggests, his voice feeling sticky in his throat, which is a sensation that is utterly human and wonderful. Sam nods, words also stuck in his throat, and Gabriel forgets about Heaven for a moment as he holds Sam's gaze.

 

+

 

Dean breaks away almost immediately after it happens, which is predictable. Castiel breaks away at the exact same moment, which is also predictable. They stay there for a few moments, both breathing hard and staring at each other. Castiel's eyes seem more blue than they've ever been before, and Dean looks both scared and exhilarated.

The angel is the first to move forwards once more, and when they kiss again Dean takes his time to adjust, both to the idea and to the feeling. Castiel pushes a little harder, his hands running along and over Dean's shoulders, and he whispers into Dean's lips, "Finally."

Apparently, that is exactly what Dean needs to hear as he closes his eyes and gives into the warmth of Castiel's mouth. Dean's lips are slightly chapped, and he can feel the stubble on Castiel's chin brushing against his own chin, and it feels natural and not-weird-at-all and just sort of right. His hands move to the angel's hips, pushing him towards the counter and then pinning him there. Dean has wanted this for a long time (a part of him suspects that he's wanted this since before he knew he'd wanted this), and he's enjoying it even more than he'd imagined. He opens his eyes again, to discover that Castiel's eyes are still wide open, and almost look a little nervous.

"What," Dean begins gruffly, and his inquiry is cut short as he follows Castiel's gaze towards the entrance to the kitchen, where Karen is staring at them with a delighted smile. The woman is carrying a couple extra dishtowels over her arm as she says, "I'm so happy for you two."

Dean looks at Castiel and then back to Karen and blanches a little, and opens his mouth to deny the entire scenario before he realizes that there's no way he can pass this off as anything other than what it is. He sighs in resignation, and then replies, "Thanks."

He does have the decency to back away from Castiel, who he seems to have cornered against the counter. As he does so he glances over at the angel, and meets his eyes once more. Dean cannot count the number of times he's matched the blue gaze, but everything seems different now. Before, he felt like Castiel was trying to understand him, to know him. But now, Castiel is looking at him with a completely cognizant, albeit anxious expression, and Dean gets this really scary and wonderful feeling like Castiel finally understands what Dean has wanted all along.

Karen coughs surreptitiously, and both Dean and Castiel break eye contact to turn to her. Bobby is standing next to his wife, a gruff but proud smile on his face. "Did you two idjits finally make up your damn minds?" Karen slaps him lightly with a dishtowel, but it doesn't wipe the inquisitive look off of the man's face.

Dean isn't sure if he's ready to admit it out loud, the change in their situation; so he nods at the older man, and then nods once more, feeling his throat closing up.

A flash of pure happiness and satisfaction flickers across Bobby's face, and then he walks up to Dean and pulls him into a one-armed hug, which turns into a full-on hug. Dean wraps his arms around Bobby for the moment, extremely grateful for the silence which signifies obvious acceptance. The bitter thought that he would never be able to share a moment like this with John flashes across his mind, but Dean blinks twice and lets his chin fall down onto Bobby's shoulder, hugging him back.

Karen is leaning against the doorframe, but she pushes herself off of it with a shoulder and heads towards Castiel, making a soft "awww" noise. She wraps her arms around the angel, because he looks left out and confused, and the left-out part goes away as Karen embraces him but the confused part remains. It takes him a while, and then he finally hugs back.

The four are left standing in the kitchen, two hunters, one angel, and one woman with a hidden smile on her face.

 

+

 

Gabriel senses the auras rising from the house, and he blinks, looking behind him. He senses comfort and confusion, but mostly, overwhelmingly,  _love_. He senses a great deal of it emanating from Castiel's being, and when he reaches out, using an ounce of his heavenly power as an archangel, he receives mental confirmation from the other angel almost instantly.

He smiles secretively, and Sam brushes a hand against his arm. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing," Gabe says, turning back and continuing to walk down the road. "Castiel just told me that he kissed your brother."

Sam stops short, and Gabriel is the one who turns around to look back at him this time. The Winchester has a smile on his face the size of the moon, and it's almost blinding. "I'm so happy for them," he says, and then his smile turns mischievous. "And I'm pretty happy for me too. This means I don't have to put up with their oblivious staring contests now which  _both_ of them refused to admit were getting inconveniently long."

"Same here," Gabriel replies to both statements, laughing. "I can't believe it took them this long to get their shit together. You have  _no_ idea how much the other angels and I have had to hear about Dean Winchester and all of his wonderful habits since Castiel pulled him from hell. He's practically been swooning." Gabe doesn't mention to Sam that whenever Castiel had paused discussing his  _aggressively_ passive crush on Dean, Gabriel had always wheedled the angel for information on Sam Winchester; how he was doing, what his hair looked like, if he still smiled the same way when somebody did something nice for him, if he'd listened to any Asia yet or if Gabe had ruined that forever for him.

Sam smiles at Gabriel, and Gabriel chuckles, looking back at the concrete. They keep walking, even though Gabriel could technically transport them to their destination within the literal blink of an eye. But, then again, all the time that Gabe has spent on Earth as the Trickster has maybe taught him that sometimes, it's nicer to take a while getting to where you want to go.

He voices this thought to Sam, and the hunter nods. "I agree. But I don't really think it's the walk itself, I think it's more who you spend the time with." His words are purposeful, and Gabe can see clear meaning and intent in his eyes. He stops walking.

Sam takes a step closer to Gabriel, and the angel breathes in before stepping forward and tilting his chin up as Sam presses his lips to his. The kiss starts a little awkwardly, but it's still the best kiss Gabe has ever had, from any human before. He reaches out with closed eyes and finds Sam's hand, weaving their fingers together and squeezing their palms against each other's. His other hand reaches up and he cards fingers through the human's hair, which has gotten so long since he first saw Sam. 

It's not the only thing that's changed about the man. He's taller now (a butt-ton taller, so tall that Gabe realizes he's standing on his tip-toes to reach his lips), and he's stronger, and his soul is so much darker, and it's been broken so many more times. But tonight, as Gabriel presses himself closer to Sam, he can sense the other man's soul, light and beautiful like a small flower. Gabriel can feel true happiness radiating through Sam, and it appears to be contagious, as Gabriel has to restrain himself from smiling into the kiss.

They kiss by the side of the road for a long time, and then Sam breaks away, the ghost of a laugh painted onto his features, which are more lit-up than usual.

"I think we've walked far enough. You ready to head home?"

Gabriel smiles back, and presses his palm to Sam's, and instantly they've reappeared inside the Singers' house, still holding hands and standing intimately close to one another.

They're right by the table, and they stay like that, pressed to each other, when suddenly Bobby and Karen walk into the dining room, followed by Dean and Castiel. All four eye Sam and Gabriel uncertainly, and Sam and Gabriel eye them back with interest. Sam makes eye contact with Dean, and Dean gives an almost imperceptible nod, which Sam reciprocates, signalling in silence to his brother that he worked everything out. A smile, the kind Sam hasn't seen in a long time, breaks out over Dean's features, making him look decades younger. Sam smiles back, and turns to look down at Gabriel, who is also smiling. Bobby and Karen have peaceful, proud smiles on their faces, and Karen is the first to speak.

"Happy thanksgiving, everyone?"

A laugh breaks out again, and the atmosphere of the room feels warm and cheerful. Conversation resumes as normal, as if no major changes had happened, and yet  _everything_ is different. Bobby walks up to Gabriel and Sam, and the three walk into the other room to go catch a football game. Bobby sits on one end of the couch, and Sam and Gabriel sit on the other, surreptitiously holding hands. Dean and Castiel help Karen clean up the dishes, but they're not much of a help, taking as much time as possible to stare at each other and ask each other minute details like "When did you first know that you knew that... well, you know?" and "Are angels even allowed to do this?" Karen puts up with their unhelpfulness, and occasionally slips in questions herself, like "So, how did you boys find out that you were both interested?" When Castiel replies with confidence, "I successfully referenced the Eagles," the two humans in the kitchen burst into fits of giggles, Dean laughing aloud and collapsing onto Cas and Karen running into the other room to grab her old CD. They play it from the kitchen as they all scrub the dishes Dean didn't manage to finish, and when  _Try and Love Again_ comes onto the tiny player Karen retreats from the room with a reassuring clap on the shoulder for Cas and a knowing wink to Dean. When asked later, both parties will deny that they swayed back and forth softly to the beat of the music.

In the end, everything is okay, and everyone is all right, and they all have so much more to be grateful for than they ever knew.

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, this hasn't been edited yet. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
